CAE vs Flight Safety Instructor Job?
 

Guys…

Can anyone offer some insight between these two for a sim instructor position? The good, the bad and anything else worth mentioning.

Would it be a simple difference of two different companies offering the same product or is there a major philosophical difference e.g. Boeing/Airbus in the way they operate/train?

I've just started research and thought I'd come here to ask as well.

Thanks for any input

Kap

Just like airlines, sim training outfits come in all flavors. One could be more like a Legacy carrier with a good contract, work rules and benefits and another could be very "budget minded" like the LCC's...

Thanks Perfinit!

K

I have been to both for training events, and it seems like Flight Safety is a better company to work for than CAE.

I've been a right seater at FSI and gone through 3-4 training events at CAE. Each program is like it's own world. I would say quality of life and culture is different at every program in the building.

I feel the exact opposite. Went to CAE for the king air and had an excellent experience, went to flight safety for the CE-650 and didn't find it close to the quality of instruction I got at CAE. I think it just depends on the program and obviously on the instructors you get.

Also the CAE facility in Dallas is one of the nicest aviation buildings I've ever been in, whereas flight safety feels like just an office.


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The overseas unit of CAE offers a better package.

I've been offered an interview at FSI... I've read as much as I could find about working conditions, hours, actually flying blah blah blah. Most of what I found was bad. Speaking with the training center manager directly I got the vibe that a lot of what I read was correct.
For instance, many of the posts said that you never get your two days off, and are told you'll get a compensatory day off later. While speaking with the training center manager, he said "the schedule is 5 on, 2 off, and we really make every effort to get you those 2 off, but of we don't, you get a compensatory day off later."
I've worked at enough outfits to read between the lines on that type of speak. It means, "you will not get your 2 days off."

YMMV.

Quality of life at the 142 centers is directly related to the status of the industry. With the hiring boom, the 142's have a difficult time retaining instructors and TCE's. Thus affecting your days off, work hours etc.

I left the regionals a year ago to work at FlightSafety, after spending 9+ years in the right seat. I enjoy working at FSI. The corporate culture is much different than what you'd experience in the airlines. I get paid a LOT more, the benefits are much better (401k, health etc). We have several bonus programs now and for 3 months straight I earned an additional $1200/month. I'm home every night. Our center has excellent management who cares very much about the morale of all who are under this roof. I've had clients scheduled for training when something came up at home, no worries, not even a personal day needed. We have monthly "fun" things we do courtesy of our fun committee, like a company golfing day etc. The pay is very competitive, although yearly raises aren't a whole lot. Lots of opportunity to move up within the company and within your center.

Each FSI center, while adhering to the corporate policies and of course regulatory requirements, operates independently. The center managers have a tremendous influence on the type of corporate environment within that building. We have a great center manager, who focuses on employee satisfaction. I've heard other centers aren't so lucky. The Center manager also controls staffing, so in some cases a center may staff less to boost the profit margin and make themselves look good on paper to corporate. But this process is slowly changing at the corporate level, as FSI corporate level management is taking serious notice to instructor morale.

My only complaint about FSI, is that yes, when times are busy we are stretched thin in our department, and must work 6 days on. The end benefit is that if working hours are high at months end, I get a bonus of $1200. I work in a relatively small program, so we tend to ebb and flow between busy as slow. Other programs can be very busy and if management does not staff properly, you will get frustrated.

Overall, I feel as though FSI is a great company to work for. My starting salary was 2.3x what I made in the airlines and I get to see my now 7 month old son every morning, have dinner with him every night and get to sleep in my own home with my family every night.

My suggestion is to ask around at the center you want to work at. Try and guage how morale is, because it really varies from center to center. I work at a center where 100% of our business are corporate clients. I can see the centers that do mostly airline training would be much more conducive to the airline type of life with scheduling, morale etc.